Growing and distinct: The Unaffiliated voter as unmoored voter

Abstract

Objective: We examine the size, characteristics, and attitudes of Unaffiliated party registrants as they compare to registrants from the two major parties. Methods: We analyze voter registration files, voter history files, and public opinion data from North Carolina. Results: Unaffiliated registrants are not simply shadow partisans but, on average, are distinct from two major parties in terms of demographics, political behavior, and political attitudes. Conclusion: Voters who eschew party labels are best understood as unmoored voters—often hovering close to their ideological docks but with no institutional constraint to keep them from drifting as the political tides shift.